Ok THAT was AWESOME!
No sooner had I posted the last two blogs (talking about needing to open myself to conversing in French) than it happened. Ask, and apparently, you shall receive!
So i'm standing out on the street using some free wifi and these two guys walk up and ask whether I am Muslim. Now this isn't as random a question as it may seem. I'm cultivating this beard, at least in part, to explore what it looks like inside those rooms in the airport where they "question" you. With my new tan and a beard like this one guy in Morocco asked Sevtap if I was Pakistani.
I replied that I was not [Muslim] and after their surprise (either at my answer or at my American accent) wore off I got the conversion speech. I've had this talk in Buddhism, Christianity (various denominations), and now Islam. Apparently you have to sort of seek out Judaism as it doesn't come to you.
The two I met, Muhammed and [oops, i forgot his name] are Moroccan and visiting Senegal probably as missionaries. They speak Arabic and a smattering of French. We were almost immediately joined by a Senegalese woman, Asla, who spoke Wolof, French, and a smattering of English. She was also Muslima and saw the three of us standing there, thought it might be a good place to ask for some help paying her son's school fees. I speak English and a smattering of French and a phrase or two in Arabic so our conversation was fantastic: all of us signing to each other, drawing in the sand, appealing to one another to translate. And the guys' French was not great, which means it was slow and pronounced enough that I could understand.
So here is something I've learned on this trip: you know that stereotype of the insensitive American who just speaks LOUDER and sloooower to people thinking that will suddenly make them understand English? Well, in many ways, it is true. All I want is for someone to speak French slowly and clearly and I suddenly can follow along. So now I try to indicate that I am deaf and could they just speak up please. It really helps immensely.
So I'm all set for Julie including getting change so that I have bills in exactly what I intend to pay for a taxi. It helps me to use the "I only have un mille Franc" technique.
In fact, I've talked about the various scams or 'progressive price structures' used here, but I haven't talked about my countermeasures. Let's call them 'financial strategies'.
1. If at all possible don't ask for change. It opens you up to the "I don't have any change" or the "let me take 25 minutes to make change so you'll just give up" counter-countermeasures.
2.Always inquire about the price. Prices aren't listed on many items because they cost the same everywhere and the locals just hand over the money. If you don't ask, you have a hard time arguing when they want $4 for that tea you already drank. That one happened, though not to me.
3. I enter most stores and immediately say "Salaam Aleikum". I don't know that this gets me some amazing discount, but I think it does help ensure honesty where someone is riding the fence on whether to be just a bit scant in measuring a kilo. If I knew the Wolof for "Hello" I might use that instead. The trick is to appear as though you've been here long enough to know when you're getting ripped off. I mean how AM i supposed to know if bananas as 400F/kg or 100F/kg?
4. My most common negotiation is "1000!?!?! That guy [point in random direction] was going to sell it to me for 800. Are you telling me you can't sell it for 750?"
5. Always be ready to walk away. If you are sold, they know you are sold. I got a screaming good deal on a taxi by threatening to walk. And I would've. The trick is to actually be ready to follow through on any bluff you make.
6. Always hang out looking expectant for just a bit longer than you should. That way if they are pulling the "maybe he doesn't know that he gets change back" method, it fails. This one is so common. You give them a 500F coin and he gives you 100F back and moves on to the next customer or an interesting spot on the wall or something, until you say "change" or stare long enough and he gives you the other 80F you are owed.
Ahhh, I may actually miss the thrill of purchase when I get back home to boring ol' fixed prices...
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2 comments:
Hmm...those tips might help me out a little on my next trip. As an American, I'm not used to dickering over prices, so any tip helps. Also, Jews don't do the conversion thing. It's just not our thing. In fact, the more orthodox the Jew is, the more strict his definitions of what makes you a Jew are. By the most strict definitions I am not, and never have been, Jewish. Inclusion is generally matrilineal and since my mother was not raised Jewish, I'm not one until I convert. I'm not totally sure the more orthodox Jews will let you convert.
So much to learn...
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